Frequently asked questions

How Does a Waterjet Cutter Operate?

In basic terms, the mechanism is erosion. A waterjet cutter propels a fine jet of water at high speed and pressure, or a blend of water and abrasive garnet particles, through the material to be cut.

Which Materials Can Be Cut by a Waterjet?

A more straightforward question might be what can't be cut by a waterjet? Our abrasive waterjet can essentially cut almost anything, although we advise against cutting tempered materials. From aluminium and brass to glass and composite carbon fibre, our machine shows its versatility.

What Makes Abrasive Waterjet Cutting Superior to Other Cutting Methods?

  • Abrasive waterjets are versatile and capable of cutting a wide array of materials and thicknesses.

  • The process is cold, leaving no burning or heat-affected zones and thus preserving the material's properties.

  • Suitable for heat-sensitive materials such as plastics, rubber, composites, glass, and ceramics.

  • Setting up for cutting tasks is straightforward and quick.

  • Multiple copies of a single part can be cut simultaneously from various materials.

  • There are no harmful emissions.

  • Reflective materials like brass and aluminium pose no issue.

What's the Maximum Thickness for Abrasive Waterjet Cutting?

In general, abrasive waterjets can cut through materials as thick as 12 inches (305mm). However, most cuts are performed on materials with a thickness of 3 inches (76mm) or less. Going beyond that usually affects the achievable tolerance and increases the cutting time.

Why do I need CAD drawings to place an order?

A powerful and user-friendly CAD system enables us to produce one or more cut parts easily, quickly and precisely from defined contours. From the CAD drawing we are able to produce a nesting drawing against the material sheet, ensuring optimum sheet utilisation possible and therefore the most economical piece part cost. The nesting drawing is fed straight into the cutting machine. In addition, customer’s specific parts may be kept on file to be quickly recalled for future production.

We are able to produce waterjet cutting programs from customers’ dimensional drawings or sketches, by digitising templates, or directly from imported DXF, DWG & IGES files all of which may be sent as email attachments.

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